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This week in AG history -- November 13, 1943

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 - 3:44 PM CST

Gustav Herbert Schmidt (1891-1958), a prominent Assemblies of God missionary to
Eastern Europe, was arrested by the Nazis and charged with spying during World
War II.

Schmidt recounted his six-month imprisonment in a November 13, 1943, article in
the Pentecostal Evangel. He was arrested in October 1940 and
incarcerated in a small, cold, drafty and semi-dark cell, which left him with
poor eyesight and hearing loss. He described the food as "almost
uneatable."

Despite these poor conditions, Schmidt reported that his Nazi captors did not
physically attack his body. Yet, he wrote, "they are masters in torturing
one mentally."

Schmidt described his painful separation from his family. He did not know
whether his wife had also been arrested, which "created a terrible feeling
of suspense."

During his imprisonment, Schmidt drew strength from his faith. He explained, "Never
in my life was the presence of the Lord as sweet as during those months. God
spoke to me as clearly as one friend does to another." When the burden
became too great, Schmidt described a remarkable experience - he would dream of
orchestras playing heavenly music. He wrote, "When I awoke from such
dreams I heard myself singing psalms in the Spirit and the glory of God filled
my heart. On those occasions I was completely enveloped with God's presence and
seemed to be floating about in the heavenlies."

Schmidt wrote that "sorrow again would grip me" when confronted by
the harsh reality of the Nazi prison. At those times of desperation he heard a
voice, "The saints are praying for you now." He would then sense that
he was "surrounded by a multitude of saints, all praying for me,"
which lifted him out of his sadness.

Schmidt was released from prison on May 16, 1941, because of his United States
citizenship. He fled to Sweden, where he wrote several books, including "Songs
in the Night," which described his imprisonment by the Nazis.

Read the entire article, "Brother Schmidt's Escape," on page 9 of the
November 13, 1943, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.